Apparatus for vulcanizing tubular articles



Get. 4, 1949. JEAN-FELIX PAULSEN 2,433,709

APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZINQ TUBULAR ARTICLES Filed March 19, 1945 s' Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTO.R

AT TURNEY Get. 4, 1949. JEAN-FELIX PAULSEN 2,433,709

1 APPARATUS FOR VULCANIZING'TUBULAR ARTICLES Filed March 19, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 n. u, will. 0E0

an" m INVENTO R JEF/V FEL //Y 1 6 04 55/14 ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 4, 1949 -UTN-I1TEDI=* STA-T APPARATUS FOR VULGANIZING' TUBULAR? ARTICLES! J eaneFelixiPaulseni Paris; France Application March 19, 1945, Serial No; 5833445 In FranceJuneI, 1943 Section 1, .Public'Law 690; August 8, 19'46 Patentexpires Junel, 1963 3' Claims.

My invention relates tomachines for vulcanizing elongated articles made of" vulcanizable' maparatus whereby the articles to be treated are vulcanized by contact with a fluid at anappropriate temperature; e. g. water orsteam,.and ifnecessary under pressure.-

Another object of my. inventionis to circulate the fluid: with which: the articles. arei'broughtxinto contact;

A further: object-of my invention;.in'the case of tubular articles, isto circulate the-vulcanizing fluid internally and: eXtern'allyof the articles.

Still a: further objector my invention, in the case': above-referred to, is to. maintain the fluid at ahigher pressure in. theinside of the tubular articles than in the space exterior to; the-same.

My invention also refers to a machinercomprising a pressure resisting container, a support for the tubular articles to be vulcanized and means to circulate a liquid throughthe container and v through the articles. themselves, the latter being wound into a helix, when. convenient. In the annexed drawings: Fig. 1 is adiagrammatical longitudinal sectionsoi' an apparatus established in accordance with my invention.

are; longitudinally disposed in. parallel respective relation between appropriate supports 3 and 4 within the container l. Supports 3 and 4 are in the form of perforated plates provided with a plurality of nipples on which pipes 2 are engaged by their ends. Container l is filled with hot water and it is strong enough to withstand an inner pressure corresponding to a water temperature of about 120 to 150 C. or more.

There is provided a water circulating pump 5 and steam tubes 6 whereby water may be heated and maintained at the desired temperature. In the construction of Fig. 1 tubes 6 are disposed in container l itself, while in Fig. 2

. .21 V v they are placed in a separatev heaterr inserted on one: of the: pipes connecting; pump 5:- wit container l.

Valves 8.:and 9 are provi'deditopermit discharge ofthe-air. fromthecontainer;

In; operation hot Water is circulated through thehoses'zto be treated, asshown by thearrows f1 in. Eigi 1,, and also between the: successive hoses; as indicated by"arrowsifz,ywhich ensures a perfect-and regular. vulcanization;

It will be apparent for anyone skilled? in=v the art-that the-water used. asa heating mediumv for thahoses could be-itself heated by anya-ppropriate means, such as; for instance; electric :resistances disposed. internally or externally with respect to container I; also: that when a hot water line is available, ,container'h may: be directly filled with: water under pressure: from; the

In. any-case; thermostatic means could: be provided'. to: maintain. the temperature at theldesired value; i

In. therconstruction of Fig. 3; hoses 2- are supported by a. movable" carriage H3 provided with wheels H and so formed that itv may be introduced into container I, which-is'circular. i'n vertical 'cross-sectiona. Carriage: H)! is'-. formed with t'ransyerse arms [2. having longitudinal grooves l3iadapi7edl-t0 receive hoses"2.

Aiione end of carriage Ifl-the ends of hoses 2 are? fixed. on; nipples 23' carried by: an end plate M: which tightly fixed to container' l l by bolts I 15 within: a sort of pre-chamber It also provided with a removableend plateor cover I621" through which carriage I0 is introduced intocontainer I. And at theopposed" end of carriage m hoses ii are similarly connected with nipples 23 carried by a hollow circular header Hi Header I7 may be; supported 'by carriage It! or it may'rest'on the-bottom of'container' i In any case it' is so arrangedv that it does not hinder" water circulation througl'r container I. The inner space of header I! communicates with container 1 through a springloaded valve 58.

Hot water under pressure is derived from a hot water line [9 and it is introduced into chamber i6 by a pipe 20. It passes through hoses 2, enters header I1 and passes through valve l8 which causes a determined pressure drop. Thence water returns to the right of Fig. 3 between hoses 2 and it is returned to the hot water producer by pipes 2| and 22, the first one opening in the vicinity of plate [4, as shown.

The plant is arranged to permit the following operations:

1. Quick filling of container I with hot water at about boiling temperature, before vulcanization.

2. Circulating water at more than 100 C. such water being taken from the hot Water line.

3. Quick discharge of the water after vul-- canization.

The first operation is effected by means of a hot water tank 25 disposed at a higher level than container I in such a manner that water from tank 26 may flow into container I by gravity when the corresponding valve 26 is open. But it is generally of advantage to use a pump 24 and a corresponding piping, the whole being so devised that the presence of steam spaces is avoided. Pump 24 forces water into chamber I8 through pipe 20 provided with a valve 28.

Pump 24 is also connected with container I by means of a suction pipe 21 provided with a valve 29, whereby pump 24 may draw water from the container. There is also preferably provided a pipe 30 with valve 3|, by means of which pump 24 may be by-passe'd, when desired.

The vulcanization may be performed by means of a separate pump, or preferably by means of pump 24 itself, the suction thereof being connected with line I9 through a valve 32, while valves 26, 29 and 3| are closed. Hot water from line I9 is then circulated as indicated by the arrows, i. e. it enters chamber 16, passes through hoses 2, escapes through valve I8, flows back through container I and is finally discharged through pipes 2I and 22. A valve 35 is provided on pipe 2|.

When the vulcanizing operation is performed, container I may be discharged by means of a pump 36, the suction of which is connected with container I and chamber I6 through a valve 39 and pipes 31-38 respectively. The discharge of pump 36 is connected with pipe 22 through a valve 40. Pipe 38 is provided with a valve 50 which is opened at the beginning of the discharging operation.

In the construction of Fig. a hose 2 to be vulcanized is helicoidally disposed around an appropriate vertical cylindrical support M which is removably placed within a container I. Hose 2 rests on a grooved strip 42 helicoidally fixed around support M. The latter is bellshaped and fits on a vertical extension 43 of the bottom of container I which is closed by a removable cover Ia.

One end of hose 2 is connected with the end 44 of the hot water pipe 46 while its other end is connected with a tube 45 opening into a boxlike member enclosing the spring-loaded discharge valve I8. Water is discharged from con tainer I through a pipe 41.

The operation is the same as in the case of Fig. 3, but the hose pipe to be vulcanized has not to be cut into a number of relatively short sections. On the other hand, it must be flexible enough to permit its winding around support M.

I claim:

1. A vulcanizing machine for flexible elongated tubular articles each having at least two ends comprising a pressure-resisting container provided with a removable cover; a removable vertical support within said container; means on said support engaging negligible surface areas of said articles to carry the flexible tubular articles to be vulcanized in helicoidal spaced formation substantially co-axial with said support; means on the bottom of said container to carry said removable support; means to force a hot liquid under pressure directly into one end of said articles from the exterior of said container so as to contact substantially the entire inner surface areas of said articles; means to discharge liquid from the other end of said articles into said container for contact withsubstantially the entire exterior surface areas of said articles; and means to discharge liquid from said container.

2. In a machine as claimed in claim l, pressure reducing means fixed to the discharge end of said flexible articles.

3. A vulcanizing device for flexible elongated tubular articles, including a container, means within said container for helically supporting an article to be vulcanized, means for passing vulcanizing fluid into one end of said article to contact substantially the entire inner surface of the article and out of the other end into said container, said supporting means engaging negligible surface areas of said article so as to leave exposed substantially the entire outer surface area of said article for direct contact with vulcanizing fluid issuing from said article into said container.

' JEAN-FELIX PAULSEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Curtiss Feb. 2, 1937 

